1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to airsoft guns and more particularly to a firing apparatus for an airsoft gun.
2. Description of Related Art
Airsoft guns use an expanding gas, such as compressed air or carbon dioxide (CO2) to propel plastic pellets through the barrel. Airsoft guns can fire in rapid succession a relatively large number of plastic pellets in a short period of time. A magazine stores the plastic pellets until the balls are delivered to the gun firing chamber. The guns use compressed gas as the propellant, and are usually triggered by a user squeezing a conventionally shaped gun trigger. When the gun user repeatedly squeezes the trigger, the gun should continue to fire plastic pellets as rapidly as possible. Airsoft guns most are either semi-automatic, where each time the trigger is pulled a plastic pellet is fired, or fully automatic, where the balls are fired as quickly as the gun is capable of for as long as the trigger is pulled.
Plastic pellets are relatively round and have an exterior formed from a semi-rigid gelatinous compound. The gelatinous compound is known to be affected somewhat by variables such as temperature and relative humidity. During a firing sequence, plastic pellets on occasion lodge against each other or other objects and block the passageway to the firing chamber, resulting in a jam. While jamming is not new, knowledge from explosive munitions magazines is of little use with the very different plastic pellets.
The invention described below aims to minimize jams when using an airsoft gun.